I feel that my high school experience was one that was positive, but sheltered. I went to North Babylon High School, which included grades 9-12. I was in honors and AP classes for all four years which had its advantages. For the most part, I did not have to worry about immature students distracting my learning. I was not in many classes consisting of teachers needing to babysit students who could not behave for 43 minutes. In that sense, I was lucky. My teachers were passionate about learning and so were my classmates. It was great because we could get through an entire class with minimal disruption. Because I was an honor student, I saw the same 60 kids in every single class for four years. It was cool because I was with my friends all day. I was pleased because I didn't have to deal with the rest of my grade, or, the "regular students." However, that resulted in me only knowing those 60 students. I was cut off from the rest of my grade because I was always sheltered in the "smart classes." Although I feel that I missed out socially in high school, I know that I had teachers who saw potential in me and wanted nothing but the best for me in my future.
In my high school, every honor student took pride in their academics. We took our GPAs seriously and it became a competition to see who could have the highest ranks. The beginning of senior year became a war zone amongst the AP kids because they were all fighting for the highest grades. Friends would constantly ask each other what grade they received on their exam to see if that one test might alter the rankings. Everyone wanted to be in the "Top 25." Being in the Top 25 meant that you were invited to a ceremony to acknowledge your accomplishments. You were also granted the opportunity to invite a teacher from elementary, middle, or high school who left an impact on your life. Teachers saw it as an honor to be invited by a former student. Top 25 was competitive, but not nearly as competitive as Top 10. The Top 10 students attended the Top 25 ceremony, but also had the privilege of graduating before the rest of the class, who graduated in alphabetical order. I was competitive because I felt that I had to be. My peers were constantly comparing grades and GPAs. I wanted to be in Top 10 mostly for the right to graduate first. My last name starts with a Z, and for obvious reasons, I did not want to graduate in alphabetical order. It would have meant that I would be the last student to graduate and I would be sitting next to students whom I'd never met before. It would not have felt right to not graduate next to the students I've been in class with for four years. I used to run into the guidance office after each academic quarter to find out where I stood in rank. It was a race to the finish to get ahead of the few students whose rank was higher than mine. To us, if you could not make Top 25, it meant you were not going to be successful. No wonder why I was always stressed out in high school.
Others have said that the honor students stay to themselves and think they are "above everyone else." I can see why it looked like that from the outside, but in reality, it was because we didn't really know the rest of the grade. I had a few friends who were not in honors classes, and by senior year I found that it was hard to relate to their stories about school. They would mention names that I had never even heard before. "Wait, Gina who?" Because I was in the same classes with the same people every year, I rarely saw new faces or talked to different people. My graduating class was 362. It was big, but it wasn't huge. At graduation, I sat amazed as I listened to each name get called. "Who is that? Wait, there's a Stephanie in this grade? I've never even seen that person before!" Just as my mind was being blown, my best friend leaned over and whispered, "Do you know any of these people?" We both sat their in silence as the list continued on. Who knew we were practically learning under a rock for so long?
My greatest high school influence was Mrs. Seeno. Mrs. Seeno was actually one of my middle school math teachers. When I moved up to the high school, she ended up being moved up as well to teach one of the high school courses. I saw her almost every day and she never failed to say hello to me. She was wonderful and always joked around with me, especially when I was struggling. She'd crack a sarcastic joke and continue on with answering my question just so she could ease the frustration. She did not put up with nonsense and her class was always under control. I remember staying after school with her for extra help one day with a few other students. One of my peers was listing off what he wanted for Christmas. The list seemed to go on forever and contained numerous expensive items. Mrs. Seeno explained that life is not about who has the newest technology or the most expensive shoes. Life is about the love and the thought from those around you. She shared a story from when she was a child living in a low income family. Her parents could not afford to buy her and her siblings Christmas presents one year, so they wrapped their toys from the year before just so that they could have something to open on Christmas morning. From a young age her family taught her that being materialistic and wanting new and fancy things can end up causing a child to become selfish. Her story reminds me to be grateful for the little things in life.
Mrs. Seeno and I have the same birthday and she always made the effort to find me on that day. During my senior year I went into her classroom to give her her yearly birthday hug. She surprised me with six red roses for the six years she's known me. She thanked me for always being such a great student, not only to her but to other teachers. I asked if she would write me a letter of recommendation for college and for a few scholarships. In the recommendation (which I was never supposed to read) she wrote, "Lauren is a student that I wish my children would become." It was the greatest compliment I had ever received. Mrs. Seeno did not have children, but to know that if she did, she would want them to be a student just like me means so much to me to this day. I ended up graduating 6th in my class and was invited to the Top 25 ceremony. I knew I wanted Mrs. Seeno to be my guest of honor. When I invited her, she was so honored and told me it was the first time she was ever asked to join a student at the ceremony. She was hysterical for the rest of the year, telling all the teachers that she got invited by a former student to attend the ceremony. She was unbelievably proud of me and what I had accomplished. I was sad to say goodbye to her, so every year I go back to my high school on our birthday just so I can give her a bouquet of flowers. Without passing Mrs. Seeno in the halls every day, I am not sure my high school experience would have been the same.
Even though I seemed to live a sheltered life throughout high school, I did have a few wonderful teachers who did their very best to prepare me and the other students for college. The teachers knew that we cared about our education so they made the effort to enhance our skills throughout the year. Academically I excelled, but I do feel that I missed out on many high school experiences because I was cut off from the general student body. I did not have to introduce myself to new people each year like others had to, and I feel that I missed out on the social aspect of high school.
In my high school, every honor student took pride in their academics. We took our GPAs seriously and it became a competition to see who could have the highest ranks. The beginning of senior year became a war zone amongst the AP kids because they were all fighting for the highest grades. Friends would constantly ask each other what grade they received on their exam to see if that one test might alter the rankings. Everyone wanted to be in the "Top 25." Being in the Top 25 meant that you were invited to a ceremony to acknowledge your accomplishments. You were also granted the opportunity to invite a teacher from elementary, middle, or high school who left an impact on your life. Teachers saw it as an honor to be invited by a former student. Top 25 was competitive, but not nearly as competitive as Top 10. The Top 10 students attended the Top 25 ceremony, but also had the privilege of graduating before the rest of the class, who graduated in alphabetical order. I was competitive because I felt that I had to be. My peers were constantly comparing grades and GPAs. I wanted to be in Top 10 mostly for the right to graduate first. My last name starts with a Z, and for obvious reasons, I did not want to graduate in alphabetical order. It would have meant that I would be the last student to graduate and I would be sitting next to students whom I'd never met before. It would not have felt right to not graduate next to the students I've been in class with for four years. I used to run into the guidance office after each academic quarter to find out where I stood in rank. It was a race to the finish to get ahead of the few students whose rank was higher than mine. To us, if you could not make Top 25, it meant you were not going to be successful. No wonder why I was always stressed out in high school.
Others have said that the honor students stay to themselves and think they are "above everyone else." I can see why it looked like that from the outside, but in reality, it was because we didn't really know the rest of the grade. I had a few friends who were not in honors classes, and by senior year I found that it was hard to relate to their stories about school. They would mention names that I had never even heard before. "Wait, Gina who?" Because I was in the same classes with the same people every year, I rarely saw new faces or talked to different people. My graduating class was 362. It was big, but it wasn't huge. At graduation, I sat amazed as I listened to each name get called. "Who is that? Wait, there's a Stephanie in this grade? I've never even seen that person before!" Just as my mind was being blown, my best friend leaned over and whispered, "Do you know any of these people?" We both sat their in silence as the list continued on. Who knew we were practically learning under a rock for so long?
My greatest high school influence was Mrs. Seeno. Mrs. Seeno was actually one of my middle school math teachers. When I moved up to the high school, she ended up being moved up as well to teach one of the high school courses. I saw her almost every day and she never failed to say hello to me. She was wonderful and always joked around with me, especially when I was struggling. She'd crack a sarcastic joke and continue on with answering my question just so she could ease the frustration. She did not put up with nonsense and her class was always under control. I remember staying after school with her for extra help one day with a few other students. One of my peers was listing off what he wanted for Christmas. The list seemed to go on forever and contained numerous expensive items. Mrs. Seeno explained that life is not about who has the newest technology or the most expensive shoes. Life is about the love and the thought from those around you. She shared a story from when she was a child living in a low income family. Her parents could not afford to buy her and her siblings Christmas presents one year, so they wrapped their toys from the year before just so that they could have something to open on Christmas morning. From a young age her family taught her that being materialistic and wanting new and fancy things can end up causing a child to become selfish. Her story reminds me to be grateful for the little things in life.
Mrs. Seeno and I have the same birthday and she always made the effort to find me on that day. During my senior year I went into her classroom to give her her yearly birthday hug. She surprised me with six red roses for the six years she's known me. She thanked me for always being such a great student, not only to her but to other teachers. I asked if she would write me a letter of recommendation for college and for a few scholarships. In the recommendation (which I was never supposed to read) she wrote, "Lauren is a student that I wish my children would become." It was the greatest compliment I had ever received. Mrs. Seeno did not have children, but to know that if she did, she would want them to be a student just like me means so much to me to this day. I ended up graduating 6th in my class and was invited to the Top 25 ceremony. I knew I wanted Mrs. Seeno to be my guest of honor. When I invited her, she was so honored and told me it was the first time she was ever asked to join a student at the ceremony. She was hysterical for the rest of the year, telling all the teachers that she got invited by a former student to attend the ceremony. She was unbelievably proud of me and what I had accomplished. I was sad to say goodbye to her, so every year I go back to my high school on our birthday just so I can give her a bouquet of flowers. Without passing Mrs. Seeno in the halls every day, I am not sure my high school experience would have been the same.
Even though I seemed to live a sheltered life throughout high school, I did have a few wonderful teachers who did their very best to prepare me and the other students for college. The teachers knew that we cared about our education so they made the effort to enhance our skills throughout the year. Academically I excelled, but I do feel that I missed out on many high school experiences because I was cut off from the general student body. I did not have to introduce myself to new people each year like others had to, and I feel that I missed out on the social aspect of high school.